A Brookhaven teenager accused of killing a classmate will standtrial for murder after pleading not guilty to the chargesThursday.

Tye Q. Williams, 17, of 632 North Sixth St., will next appear incircuit court at 11 a.m. on April 11 for an omnibus hearing todetermine the evidence against him in the Oct. 24, 2010 shootingdeath of 16-year-old Bryant Holloway. Williams was recentlyindicted on one count of murder and entered his plea at anarraignment hearing before Judge David Strong Thursday.

Williams is accused of killing Holloway with a single gunshot tothe head following the last in what family members described as aseries of arguments. The altercation occurred on Oct. 24 around 7p.m. on Short Street and the victim died at King’s DaughtersMedical Center shortly after 9 p.m.

“He’s entitled to a trial, obviously. We’ll present the evidence asit was presented to the grand jury, and a jury of his peers willdetermine his fate,” said District Attorney Dee Bates.

The two were classmates at Brookhaven High School, and thedeceased’s family said both had been friends for a long time. Theincident sparked unrest around the community and at BHS.

Williams’ not guilty plea was a surprise to Sandra Johns, an auntto the victim that helped raise him in the absence of a deceasedmother.

“What is he fighting for? There’s nothing for him to fight for,”she said.

Johns appeared in court wearing an airbrushed shirt bearing hernephew’s picture. She said she had one for every day of the weekand would wear them throughout Williams’ trial.

“They’re going to see my face every day until I fall down dead,”she said.

Calls to Williams’ attorney were not immediately returned.